My Promo Video (found at the top of the homepage on my website) was created by Tim Partridge and Martina Kabelkova (pictured above) flanking me (the Artist) on the 21 January 2015 at my studio in Royal Leamington Spa, England, UK

I’ve exhibited my art with them over many years and have always enjoyed seeing the fabulous layouts on show from all round the country, including the local Club layouts. There are numerous Model Railway/Preserved Railway related trade stands there too in support.

The early morning tranquillity of Jephson Gardens with the historic Pump rooms as a backdrop

2004

(the oil painting was commissioned by a local friend)

The beautiful gardens were built in honour of Sir Henry Jephson who helped promote the healing properties of the Spa Waters for the poor residents of Leamington Spa at the time. The Spa waters are located in the Pump Rooms on the right of my image.

I play at my local club which was the first lawn tennis club to be set up in this country by Harry Gem in 1872 originally founded at the Manor House in Royal Leamington Spa, before finally moving to Guys Cliffe Road. Its official title is the

Leamington Lawn Tennis and Squash Club.

Framed Portrait prints of Andy Murray and Ann Haydon Jones and other British Wimbledon Champions are on display in the Club House on Guys Cliffe Avenue.

Will, in turn kindly supplied the musical tune for my Promo Video on the homepage of my website.

7 PROGRESSIVE PARRISH

The band, like a tree of knowledge, rise up and reach towards the Sun

This is the Classic Yes line up (Howe, Wakeman, White, Anderson and Squire) as regarded by the fans

The title of my image was inspired by a 20 minute piece of music entitled ‘Nous Sommes Du Soleil’ (We are of the Sun)from the Yes double album entitled ‘Tales from Topographic Oceans’. released in 1973 on vinyl and cassette with a gatefold sleeve. Yes have always been one of my favourite Progressive Rock Bands and this album remains very popular with me and the fans today, such is the timeless nature of their music, both instrumentally and lyrically. Yes continue to create great music with their album ‘Heaven and Earth’ released in 2014. Sadly one of the founding members and bass player Mr Chris Squire died at the end of June 2015, portrayed on the right of my image above. He made a massive contribution to the sound of Yes music with his thunderous bass, choir boy backing vocal harmony sound and song writing ability. He created solo albums too and often worked on spin off projects with big names like Steve Hackett and Billy Sherwood.

For a tribute to Tony Clarke,(often called the Sixth Moody, because he was so important to the Moody Blues sound as their Producer), why not visit the Coventry Music Museum and see my Tony Clarke portrait painting print and discover more about other Coventry’s musicians.

9 PARRISH AT PEACE

The orchestra plays the Planet Suite inside the Royal Albert Hall, London and the sound of the beautiful music reaches out above into the cosmos. Who knows who may be listening.

(endorsed by Roger Scruton, Philosopher and creator of the TV programme ‘Why Beauty Matters’ first shown in 2009)

My ever growing portfolio of genre and associated paintings have been inspired by Art Galleries, Commissioners, the public making suggestions and my own passion for creating fine art from the heart. Coupled with this my interests in Music, Science, Science Fiction and Astronomy are reflected through many luminaries that I believe in and have painted in a surreal style of artwork. An optimist and a traditionalist by nature, I like to reflect a feeling of optimism in my artwork.

I mostly work from photographic material, sometimes published, in which case I will change the look of the finished painting in some way to avoid copyright. I am often inspired by looking at photographs, sometimes published, sometimes ones I have taken.

Most of my artwork has been developed from sketches, including my surreal compositions. These were inspired by looking at words and lyrics composed by various musical luminaries. From this I visualized my thoughts in my minds eye and interpreted them into a sketch.

The canal scenes and some of my railway scene paintings are created from my own photographs.

However when creating a period scene, I do some research and change the look of a painting to suit the period.

This style of painting evolved through developing my black and white monochrome style in recent years through

Warwick Studios Gallery

in Royal Leamington Spa after the turn of the century.

The Warwick Collection is currently being exhibited at The Mitchell Gallery in Warwick at 2 Church Street. Telephone 01926 408787 and date back to 2009

My paintings were created from sketches developed from taking my own photographs during the day and at night.

See The Warwick School Project below as an example.

10 A PARRISH PROJECT

The Warwick School Project from Inception to Canvas

Warwick School in Myton Road, Warwick was a challenging piece of architecture to paint and it was commissioned by the Mitchell Gallery in Warwick during 2011.

To create this painting, the Gallery and I, decided on a stretched canvas size of 36in x 24in to give the maximum impact of the look of the building.

I was given colour and black and white photographs of the School taken by a professional photographer to use as a reference guide along with my prepared sketch.

The surface of the canvas had already been prepared by the Gallery with a coat of Gesso primer Paint. So now it was ready to work on.

I first prepared the outline faintly on the canvas by using a soft pencil. Then carefully measuring up by ratio sizes from the photographs to gain a degree of accuracy. At this stage, I was working on my drawing board, which I used to use as a Draftsman in my former career.

Using water based oils, I applied thin layers of grey paint, adding in liquin and water, which helped spread the paint more evenly on the canvas.

Once the form, outlines of the school were complete or thereabouts, I began to paint in the foreground, with the grass and gravel drive by constantly referring to the good quality photographs I had been given.

The sky tones were added last, by using liquin, water and a fan brush to help spread the paint evenly.

At this stage, I moved the painting onto my easel. By looking at the painting from a distance, I began to eye in fine detail, again closely observing the look and lighting of the school on the photographs.

Once these stages were complete , two layers of paint had been added, including the sky, at this point.

To achieve final effects, I added in highlights where necessary to help ‘lift’ the painting and bring it to life.

The overall time span was over a period of about six weeks, working between other commitments and projects.

11 PARRISH IN VENICE

A Gondola crosses the Grand Canal in idyllic Venice.

I have visited the beautiful city of Venice and it is an Artist’s paradise.

I took plenty of photographs and many of them have inspired me to create an Artist’s impression on the canvas.

I have several unfinished pieces of Venice yet to be completed, however my completed pieces can be found at

Sad that the Great Central Railway is no more. But we have part of the Great Central Railway as it used to be in its heyday (the UKs only main line Heritage Railway) preserved further north at Loughborough Station.

14 PARRISH AND STEAM PRESERVATION

The beautiful elegance of the majestic Flying Scotsman bathed in moonlight

2012

The Flying Scotsman (portrayed above pulling out of Newcastle Upon Tyne Station in the 1930s) is now back on the rails for tests using the East Lancashire Railway on the 8 January 2015, after extensive restoration work on the Locomotive going back to 2006.

the beauty of a country station awaits the grandeur of Dinmore Manor approaching on the right

2015

Passengers patiently await the arrival of the elegant Foremark Hall

2015

Tank Locomotive no 4270 is the centre of attention as she waits patiently in the platform

2015

Cheltenham Race Course Station

Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway (UK)

I have been involved with the GWR since 2013, creating Railway scenes in oils, portraying Toddington, Winchcombe and Cheltenham Station so far.

These images are used on Jigsaw Puzzles which are for sale in the Toddington platform shop.

Other merchandise including Postcards and Greeting cards are also for sale. Occasionally I go down and meet some of the volunteers working there and admire the great job they do running the Railway. I also catch up on progress with the re construction of Broadway Station. I take the opportunity to have a train ride as well from Toddington station.

The majesty of Sir Nigel Gresley is acknowledged by passengers on the platform at Grosmont

(North York Moors Railway, UK)

This was a day event at the North York Moors Railway near York during October 2014.

The General Manager of Samsung Techwin -Northern Europe (a friend of mine from my childhood) kindly invited me to come along to this event to help promote my railway artwork.

The Manager gave a Presentation at Pickering Station promoting Samsungs surveillance equipment in front of an audience of Samsung clients and employees during the morning.

This was followed by a Railway journey to Grosmont and back in the afternoon on the North York Moors Railway hauled by the Samsung Techwin Express Pullman train.

This comprised of an A4 Class locomotive named Sir Nigel Gresley no 60007, a famous preserved loco hauling a set of luxury LNER pullman cars. We had a 3 course meal on the journey, served by waiters re-enacting the 1930s, from the LNER heyday.

A wonderful, memorable day for me to cherish as an Artist and also as a Railway enthusiast.

A good day was had by all.

Who will commission me to create a scene portraying the famous blue Sir Nigel Gresley Locomotive no 60007?

Experience The Pullman Dining Train hauled by Sir Nigel Gresley at the NYMR

15 PARRISH ON THE MOON

a tribute painting to the greatest day in Mankind’s history on the 20 July 1969

2012

Man on the Moon! Surely mankind’s greatest achievement to date.

The new images of planet Pluto in July 2015 are something to behold.

Quite astonishing and not what the Astronomers were expecting.

All very exciting and these discoveries always renew and stimulate my interest in Outer Space

Will we ever land a man on the moon again?

I always feel this fantastic achievement that took place between 1969 and 1972 when man visited and landed on the Moon on six occasions with the Apollo missions has been under stated over the years. This is my tribute of this incredible achievement in 1969 with men walking on the Moon.